DRAMATIC drone footage yesterday showed cops trawling a fish pond in the search for Claudia Lawrence - as a source insisted: "The answer lies local."
Police were spending a third day scouring the flooded quarry and surrounding woodland in a bid to solve the 12-year-old mystery.
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Police are on their third day of searching for Claudia Lawrence Credit: PA:Press Association 3
Drone footage showed them trawling a fish pond Credit: SWNS
The search teams are using ground-penetrating radar equipment and cadaver dogs trained to find human remains.
The fresh search has triggered the public passing new information to the police while Claudia’s mum Joan urged them to quiz Christopher Halliwell, who is doing life for the murder of two women.
North Yorkshire Police have previously dismissed him as a suspect.
They said there was no evidence that Claudia knew him while a source previously close to the investigation told The Sun the theory has always been that her killer was someone close to her.
The source said: “From the very beginning, in the early days of the investigation, there was a feeling that the person responsible for Claudia's disappearance was known to her.
“It was someone she knew in the local area.
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"Some of the people interviewed by police were hiding something, they weren't being completely truthful, that was clear.
"That view didn't change for several years, but obviously the breakthrough detectives wanted never came."
Claudia went missing on March 19, 2009, two years to the day before Halliwell killed Sian O’Callaghan, 22, after abducting her in Swindon, Wilts.
The date was said to be a trigger for him because he had been dumped by an ex on that date.
Witnesses believe they may have seen him in the York area in the weeks before Claudia vanished –and may even have been seen her talking to him.
The taxi driver also murdered Becky Godden-Edwards, 20, in Swindon. She went missing in 2007 and her remains were found in 2011.
Halliwell, 57, had a secret trophy store of 60 items of women’s clothing suggesting he had dozens more victims.
Only two of the items have ever been identified – Becky’s cardigan and one of Sian’s high-heeled boots.
North Yorkshire Police have previously quashed speculation linking him to Claudia’s disappearance.
But mum Joan, 77, of Malton, North Yorkshire, said: “Something has always bothered me about Halliwell and leaves me feeling very uneasy.
“The police may not have proved he had anything to do with my daughter’s disappearance, but they haven’t disproved it either.
“I still don’t feel they have investigated the link.”
Something has always bothered me about Halliwell and leaves me feeling very uneasy.
Joan
Chef Claudia, 35, vanished as she walked to work for a 6am shift at York University.
Five people have been arrested on suspicion of her murder but there has never been enough evidence to charge anyone.
Detective Superintendent Wayne Fox, in charge of the Claudia inquiry, said yesterday: “I thank the public for the positive responses and new information received in support of the current phase of the investigation.
“Our focus is on finding Claudia and bringing those responsible for her disappearance and suspected murder to justice.”
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Chef Claudia vanished as she walked to work in 2009 Credit: Rex Features
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